Thursday, June 26, 2014

Interview & Giveaway with Michelle Sharp, author of DREAM HUNTRESS

Dream Huntress

by Michelle Sharp

Release Date: June 23, 2014

Genre: Romantic Suspense/ Ignite

Dreams can be murder...

Detective Jordan Delany has a gift. Through her dreams, she connects with dead victims of violent crimes. Her isolated life as a drug cop is perfect for hiding the freakish visions, until her newest investigation has her posing as a cocktail waitress in a down-and-dirty strip club. When she’s saved from a drunken customer by a handsome stranger, the heated chemistry is exactly why she intends to keep Mr. Arrogant at bay. But learning he’s the new bouncer for the corrupt club she intends to bust just might be the one reason why she can’t.

Tyler McGee suspects a drug ring operating out of the local club is flooding the streets of his hometown with heroin. Determined to get answers, he plays the part of a fallen cop and lands the job of head bouncer. What he discovers is that the club owner isn’t the only deadly obstacle he’s facing. His attraction to an intriguing cocktail waitress with a penchant for danger just might kill him first.

Hi, Kim. Thank you so much for having me. I’m excited to be doing my first book blog tour.

Congratulations on being a first time published author. What's the easiest thing you've learned so far?

I’m not sure if it’s the easiest or hardest thing to learn, but patience is a must in the publishing world. The span of time from that first brilliant nugget of an idea, to the point where you see a finished book, probably lasts longer than a significant amount of marriages.

I LOVE covers. Your cover for Dream Huntress definitely got my attention. Could you please tell me something about the book that I'm not going to find in the blurb?

It is really hard to capture the full essence of a book in a blurb. But I think readers might like to know that although Dream Huntress is a steamy love story, it centers on a darker, more complicated heroine than most romances. Jordan is far from perfect when the story opens. With Ty’s help, she makes great strides toward opening up, but still has a lot of growing left to do even at the end of the book. Still, she’s an interesting character because her badge is her world and she’s fiercely dedicated to finding justice for the dead who need her help.

Tell me about Jordan. I know she has visions of dead victims. Is this something that she always had or did the dreams start as a result of something happening to her. (If there's a big reveal in the story about this, then please just say it's a secret and that I have to read the book to understand.)

I don’t think it gives too much away to say that her dreams have always been there, it’s just that it took her a long time to accept and understand them. Particularly after a childhood tragedy that left her guilt stricken and resentful of her gift.

Denial and secrecy is not all that uncommon for people who grow up with some kind of psychic ability. Children, teens—heck anyone—can have issues that cause them to be a scared in the night. Imagine if you were constantly seeing the events of violent crimes unfold in your dreams. How would you channel it into a productive life? For the most part, Jordan has managed to do just that. But she’s smart enough to know the black and white world of police work and hard evidence is not conducive to all the gray areas of attempting to solve crimes based on pieces of visions in her dreams.

Tell me about Tyler. I have a feeling there is SO much more to him than the book blurb says.

Ty is a perfect match for Jordan. Perfectly opposite that is, and we all know what they say about super-sexy opposites. Jordan’s whole world is based on secrets and isolation. Imagine how her world comes apart when she falls for a man who is equally as stubborn, but also is absolutely dedicated to the connections in his life—connections with his family, connections with his community. And most importantly, the overwhelming connection he feels toward her.

If you’re looking for the slick billionaire (because we all know how many of those are out there running around), Ty is not your guy. But if you love a big, sexy cop who would absolutely go to hell and back for the woman he loves, I think he’ll do.

Your bio says that you love to team resilient, kick-ass heroines with the sexy alpha's who love them. I have a feeling these two are going to be really good together, with a lot of frustrating moments. Can you share one of your favorite scenes with me and why is it one of your favorites?

You’re right, there are some very dark moments and a lot of frustration between them, but I also think they have a really fun dynamic because they’re both intelligent, stubborn, smart-asses. Can I say that on a blog? If not, put in a couple of pound signs and blame it on me being a rookie at blog interviews! LOL! But as I was saying, I don’t know if I have a very favorite scene, but I tend to enjoy the silly, intimate ones where they are joking around or teasing one another after making love. I think it’s those very real moments that turn characters on a page into something real we can all relate to.

Is there a chance that this book is the start of a series?

You bet. I have always seen Jordan and Ty’s story as a trilogy. Plus, I already have the first novella submitted. It’s the story of them deciding whether or not they are ready to move in together. Ty has his heart set on buying a big, old horse ranch that he has loved since childhood. But the events that have happened there will spark Jordan’s dreams causing them both to wonder if they could ever live there in peace.

That sounds really good. Thank you Michelle for taking the time to answer some questions for me. I one-clicked the book on release day.

Thanks for having me. I love this part of the process!

Michelle Sharp is a romantic suspense author from the Midwest. Although she has a degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University, she finds weaving tales of danger, deception, and love much preferable to reporting the cold, hard facts. Her goal in life? To team resilient, kick-ass heroines with the sexy alpha’s who love them. As most writers probably are, she is an avid reader. Her husband and kids would call it obsessive—butwhatever. Her first choice is usually a story with a thrilling combination of danger and love, but any book with a great voice and intriguing story will keep her turning pages well past any reasonable bed-time.

Her debut novel will be published with Entangled Ignite in June of 2014. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Missouri Romance Writers.